Student Suspended For Talking To Army Mom In Iraq

A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a cell phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Cell phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

He used profanity? They're lucky he didn't take a poke at someone's jaw.

Thanks to Ed in Texas, who points out the surprising part of this story is the dateline. No, it's not San Fransisco. It's Columbus Frickin' Georgia:

This is the town that grew up in front of the main
gate of Friggin Fort Benning.
Home of the US Infantry.
Home of US Airborne School (every paratrooper
in the US military trained at Benning. All of 'em)

Which just reinforces my belief that I was right to ignore just about every f'n' thing any teacher ever said to me in high school.